Farewell Hyderabad

4 weeks down. 2 weeks play to go!

It's 3am in Hyderabad. It's with mixed emotions that I leave my sheltered surroundings in 4.5 hrs, bound for madness in the North.

Think Dehli, think camping on the banks of the Ganges, Varanasi, the Taj... Wooooo! What a contrast to what I've experienced thus far.

Stay tuned for updates. I'll miss you SO much Hyderabad/Hyderabadis.

A x

Hyderbad Holiday Party

Great times at the office holiday party!

I got to dress up in my very first sari. Thanks so much to the girls for 'draping' me :)

Click on either of the below snaps to be taken through to the full album:

My gals - Parul & Ritika

Expats stylin' in up - Tanja, Stacy, some random local, Selin & Charise

Humourous Indian Signs

I'm keeping a collection of entertaining signs for your enjoyment. Here are some highlights found in the local park (thanks Mahin!). Click on either of the pics to be taken through to the dedicated giggling album!

Don't even THINK about having fun in the park!

Nice thought - too bad about the state of the bin!

Hyderabad 10K Run

I'm baaaack! I participated in the Hyderabad 10K run this morn... my first serious go at jogging since buggering my ankle 5 months ago.

I joined in the fun with approx 10,000 others, many of whom ran barefoot with jeans! At one point, a lady passed me dressed in a full sari with sandals which certainly encouraged me to pick up the pace and finish within 1hr 15mins. Not bad, not bad!

Click on the photo below for more photos of red-faced Alex...

Charminar

Today we visited the Hyderabadi landmark, Charminar. A monument built in the centre of the city in 1591 to a commemorate the eradication of a plague in the region.

It was truly a highlight of my stay here. Particularly as we had a lovely local (Shiraz) to show us around. Check out the below album for a taste of the amazing momument, hectic traffic and crazy bangle shopping!

My First Sari, My First Indian Holiday Party!

My last day in the office happens to coincide with the office holiday party. Whoop! We're off to the Marriott for a lavish affair and it's strictly formal attire; a perfect excuse to don the local dress.

Two of the wonderful girls in my team took me shopping for my very first sari. What an experience! I was treated to a display of over 50 beautiful fabrics. Unfortunately the one I fell in love with happened to have the steepest price tag. I made up my own dialogue as the girls bartered in the local tongue and scored a deal for 5000 rupees. Ouch!

Get set for an Indian themed party on my return; I'm determined to justify this extravagant purchase. Only drama -the art of draping a sari is a skill best left to the locals. Calling all Sydney based Indians!!

India Sales Conference

The Sales Conference was crazy fun. After a productive day, they surprised us by flying in India's hottest band for the evenings celebrations - Euphoria.

The highlight? When Euphoria dropped Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer.' You can no doubt envisage me going mental on the d-floor with 500 of my closest Indian friends. Oh yeah!